Quite a while ago I got these beans at the farmer’s market and have since come to really love them. Not only is the flavor amazing, they are only $1 per pound which if you’re familiar with the cost of beans in health food stores is a great deal.
They appear similar to fava beans but have the mottled appearance, and the flavor reminds me of cannellini beans which are a flavorful, gourmet white bean. They are called Christmas beans and, as I have just learned, are a variety of lima bean, of American origin.
In terms of appearance the cooked beans do not have a great appeal to the eye, but what they lack in appearance they more than make up for with their wonderful flavor.
I was reading about the history of fava beans and they are one of the oldest known plants cultivated by humans, having been cultivated in the Middle East at least 8,000 years before being introduced to the West. It really makes me think how different, how much more peaceful and less violent history would have been had humans chosen to forgo the consuming of animal flesh in favor of eating nourishing foods such as this.
Leave a Reply